This content list is a collection of prompts, ideas and leads for you to draw on if you want to submit to Farrago but aren’t sure what to write or create. This is by no means an exhaustive list of content—you can pitch your own ideas or send in cold submissions. Email your pitch to editors@farragomagazine.com and we’ll give you a word count. If you have any really good ideas for things you can’t be bothered making or writing yourself, please send them through to us! 

Edition One Submissions close Sunday 19 January 2020, 11:59PM!

PITCHING AND SUBMITTING TIPS:

1. Unless you’re submitting short-form creative writing, it’s a good idea to pitch to us first. That way we can make sure you’re not doubling up on ideas and can help you develop it.
2. Read the style guide. Farrago has its own set of grammar and style rules. The guide is full of detailed tips that will help with your writing.
3. Send us an email with your idea and a brief plan. If you’re using something from the content list, tell us why you want to write on that topic and include some more details—maybe you’re keen to include an interview or need more resources.
4. Ask us questions! Maybe you have an idea and want to develop it by talking to other people. We aren’t (too) scary and we’re excited to meet you. If you’re around uni, feel free to come up to our office on the fourth floor of Union House to have a chat!

REGULARS:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Yes, we actually still do these. Was there something in the last edition that you loved? Hated? Do you have any long-standing beef with one of the editors and want to air it in a public forum? Write us a short letter.

HOROSCOPES: We’re bringing back horoscopes with fun themes for each edition! The theme for Edition One is: Colourful. What’s on the Aquarius agenda?

FLASH FICTION: Send us a piece that is 100 words or less! The theme for Edition One is: Summer. 

NEWS:
Hey reporters! Sarah and Amber will be in touch with story ideas and prompts for Edition One. If you’re not a reporter and want to submit a campus-related news piece, feel free to pitch the idea to us.

NONFICTION:
THE TOLERANT LEFT: The Left, broadly speaking, generally aims for acceptance and tolerance, and yet certain, often extremely vulnerable, groups are regularly shat on by those who view themselves as progressive. Drug addicts, the homeless and people with psychotic illnesses are only some of the groups excluded from and often actively degraded in Leftist discourse. Why is this the case?  

VIVE LA REVOLUTION: Is it true that violence never solves anything, or is ignoring the violent elements of almost every effective political movement throughout history an ahistorical reading aimed at defanging contemporary activists? Is property destruction a form of violence, or should that label be reserved only for harm done specifically to living things? Without the threat of violence, how is it possible to force powerful, unwilling individuals to act more justly? this? What do we need to be doing better?

19 WITH NO PARENTS: What happens to young people deemed too old for social services?

GENTRIFICATION EXPLAINER: Sometimes it feels like half the student body at UniMelb lives in Brunswick sharehouses. Why is this a problem? Who are we pushing out? What are the other options?

ECO-ANXIETY: How is the looming prospect of a drastically changed climate affecting our mental health? Who is most affected by anxiety about the future of our planet? And what can we do to keep ourselves happy and healthy in the face of a grim climate forecast?

MUSIC AND THE ENVIRONMENT: With Coldplay delaying all tours until they can make them environmentally friendly, we’re wondering what the music industry’s impact on the environment is? Who is taking steps?

TOASTIES: Why are toasties so delicious? What’s the secret of a great toastie? Which cafe makes the gooiest, yummiest toasted sandwich? Modern and creative filling combinations: are we a fan of the kimchi+Bolognese toastie, or is the classic cheese-and-tomato combo the way to go?

SOCIAL LONELINESS: Social media is designed to connect us with others. But is it actually just making us lonely?

NOT A TEEN, NOT AN ADULT: How do you navigate liminality, especially as a university student? Intellectual prowess is sharpening but can you do the washing? What are the tensions? How do you feel?

WALLS BETWEEN US: Thirty years on from the fall of the Berlin wall, are we doing enough to remember the lessons about community, democracy, and freedom that we learnt in the 20th century? What does Trump’s wall with Mexico, and its popularity, tell us about the state of Western democracies? What walls (literal or metaphorical) do we see in our own country/community/university?

TV NOSTALGIA: What makes a television show nostalgic for you? What are the ultimate nostalgic shows of each era? Who is the most nostalgic?

DISNEY VS DREAMWORKS: Tharidi loves DreamWorks and Sarah loves Disney*. Which one is better and why? Explore the pros and cons of each company and their films. (*not the capitalist conglomerate. We do not love that.)

SELF-PARTNERED: Emma Watson made a statement about being single. Write about being happily single and the positives that you have gained.

CULTURE CLOCK: Does time pass differently for different cultures? Explore a range of cultures and how the conception of time passes. This has the potential to be an interview as well!

#DIGITALACTIVISM: What does activism look like in our contemporary media landscape? Are hashtags working? How do we make a difference in 2020?

OK BOOMER: Cancel culture or concerning? Discuss the war on age gaps as opposed to the war on wage gaps? Criticism and class warfare begin a new conversation.

CREATIVE:
BEYOND THE PAGE: Send us something that isn’t writing! Music, video, performance poetry—or something that we wouldn’t have even thought of! Bring us your multimodal ideas, and we’ll see what we can do to make them fit in print.

SQUAWK: What would happen if rainbow lorikeets overthrew the Australian government? Please tell us, we need to know!

TOOTY FRUITY: Defend your favourite fruit. What’s their story? What do they have to offer that makes them better than the rest? Their scrumptious taste, that smooth smooth texture?

YOU OPEN THE CUPBOARD…: Write us a story in the second person! This has the potential to be super spooky…

LYRICS TO LIFE: Pick a song you’re obsessing over and write a creative piece based on its lyrics. Where will it take you? What is the life beyond the sounds?

EMU WARS: Obviously Lorikeets are overthrowing the government, but what battles have birds faced previously? Chronicle the frontline of the Australian Emu War from the perspective of an emu.

RORSCHACH TO WRITING: Inkblots were once used for psychological testing, reuse them and write a poem in its place.

SKITTLE ME THIS: What do colours taste like? No, really? Is Blue Heaven really heavenly? Put a creative spin on this piece.

CUR(S)ED: Write a piece that can’t contain the letter ‘s’, or another letter of your choice. Whenever you feel the need to use it, find a synonym, an alternative, or rewrite.

TO ALL THE _____ I’VE LOVED BEFORE: Jenny Han wrote an YA novel that has become a Netflix sensation. Meanwhile at Unimelb, the Love Letters page continues to grow! Write a love letter or series of love letters with a twist!

IT’S NOT ME, IT’S MERCURY:  Parody the star signs at their worst. Is Gemini really two faced? What happens when the star signs all come together? Awkward dinner parties or dating profiles, play around with this one!

SPEECHLESS: Write a piece without quotation marks BUT include conversations between at least two characters. How do we recognise communication?

ART AND GRAPHICS:
COLLECTIBLES: Do you have a weird collection? A million plushies from your childhood? Limited edition Star Wars figurines? Human fingernails? Turn them into art!

IT’S VINTAGE: Snoop around some antique shops and see what catches your eye, or sparks a thought — https://www.thejunkmap.com.au/portfolio/15-vintage-bazaars-list/.

FLOWER PRESSING: Sarah loves flowers but isn’t sure how to make them. Press some flowers into another image for us.